Read Around the World Book Discussion

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

Let literature transport you. Join us as we explore stories from around the world.

Join us in reading and discussing Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.

In this landmark addition to the literature of totalitarianism, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive regime today—an Orwellian world that is by choice not connected to the Internet, where displays of affection are punished, informants are rewarded, and an offhand remark can send a person to the gulag for life. She takes us deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors, and through meticulous and sensitive reporting we see her subjects fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival. One by one, we witness their profound, life-altering disillusionment with the government and their realization that, rather than providing them with lives of abundance, their country has betrayed them. (From the publisher)

Find a copy of the book here. Ebook copies are available through Digital Library of Illinois or the Libby app. Eaudiobook copies are always available through Hoopla. 

For those who would like to purchase a copy of Nothing to Envy, please support our local independent bookstore, The Book Stall at 811 Elm Street in Winnetka. 

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